Autophagy
In plain language
The body's recycling process, in which cells break down and reuse their own damaged parts.
Technical definition
A conserved cellular degradation pathway in which cytoplasmic components and organelles are delivered to lysosomes for breakdown and recycling; implicated in cellular quality control and aging.
Autophagy helps cells clear damaged proteins and organelles, and its regulation is an active area of aging research. Interest in fasting and certain compounds is partly driven by their proposed effects on this pathway, though human longevity benefits remain unproven.
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